The Tampa Bay Buccaneers look just fine — maybe better than ever — with backup Ryan Fitzpatrick starting in Week 1 for suspended Jameis Winston.
In truth, not many people expected much from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing in the loaded NFC South this season, even with Jameis Winston on the field. So, when the quarterback’s three-game suspension came about to start the year, there was even less hope. The faith in veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick was virtually nonexistent.
As it turns out, you should never doubt the Fitzmagic. The 35-year old Harvard product has some spellbook or something buried in his locker, because he’s always pulling out wizardry when you least expect it. Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints is a prime example of just that.
In the first half, the Saints jumped out to a 7-0 lead and anyone watching likely thought a blowout was about to begin. However, Fitzpatrick got his magic started with a bomb to veteran DeSean Jackson that went 56 yards for the tying score. After a Saints field goal, Fitzpatrick added a touchdown with his legs, running over Marcus Williams for a 3-yard touchdown.
He wasn’t even done there, tossing another touchdown to move the lead to 24-17 in the second quarter as he found wide receiver Chris Godwin. It was easy as can be for the veteran at the helm of the Buccaneers offense.
Fitzpatrick finished the first half having gone 11-of-14 for 210 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to his rushing score. At the end of the half, he had led the Bucs to a 31-24 lead over the Saints, a team that many have pegged to be contenders to win the NFC.
Look, we know the story with Ryan Fitzpatrick at this point. This isn’t going to sustain and he’s going to have a letdown at some point if he stays at the helm of the offense. But you know what, that doesn’t mean we can’t stand back and appreciate these runs like this. The Fitzmagic nickname, if nothing else, is apt in moments like this.